Elevated-carrier latch.



M. B. MOYER. ELEVATED CARRIER LATCH. APPLICATION FILED FEB-29, 1912.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

M. B. MOYER.

ELEVATED CARRIER LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED 315.29, 1912.

1,043,786. Patented N0v.5, 1912.

2 BHEBTS- BHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MALCOLM IB. MOYER, OF MONTEVIDEO, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO MOYER MANUFAC-TUBING COMPANY, OF MONTEVIDEO, MINNESOTA.

ELEVATED-CARRIER LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

Application filed February 29, 1912. Serial No. 680,609.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MALCOLM B. Moran, a citizen of the United States,residing at Montevideo, in the county of Chippewa and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElevated- Garrier Latches; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to elevated carriers, and more especially tothose employing a pivoted bucket; and the object of the same is toprovide an improved latching device for holding the bucket uprightwithin the traveling carriage, which latch may be tripped by hand or bya trip mounted on a track. This object is accomplished by constructingthe latch and the catch therefor in the manner hereinafter morespecifically described and claimed, and as shown in the drawings whereinFigure 1 isa side elevation showing the parts of this improved. devicein position with the latch engaged with the catch to hold the bucketupright. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the bucket in vertical sectionshowing. the parts in the position they assume after the latch has beentripped so that the weight passes the center of gravity and rests uponthe catch. Fig. 8 is a somewhat similar view showing the bucket asturned slightly on its trunnions, and illustrating the catch asrestoring the latch to its normal position. Fig. 4 is an end elevationillustrating the position of parts as the bucket is being restored toits vertical position.

In the drawings is illustrated a bucket B having trunnions below itscenterof gravity pivoted as at P in the arms of a yoke Y forming part ofa carriage supported by wheels W on an overhead track or cable C.

and the letter T designates a trip attached to said cable for actuatingthe trlgger hereinafter described. No novelty whatever is claimed forall these parts, as they are commonly employed in overhead carriers.such as are used for conveying articles frompointto point in the bucket,and dumping the latter when the point of delivery is reached. Thedumping may be done by hand orautomatically, and if done automaticallythe trip T is set at a proper point upon the cable C so that when thebucket reaches that point the trigger is engaged by the trip and thelatch is moved to permit the bucket to dump. The trunnions of the bucketare pivoted at P below the center of gravity of the bucket and itscontents, and therefore the bucket must be connected in some mannerwith. the

yoke Y to prevent it from turning over undesirably, although suchturning over hecomes desirable when the bucket reaches the point whereit is to be dumped. The details of this latch mechanism form the subjectmatter of the present invention.

The latch proper consists of a short bar 1 pivoted at 2 across the yokeY at a point nearer its inner end or tip than its outer end or heel, andpivoted at its outer end at 3 to a rod 41 which leads thence upward andis pivoted at 5 to the trigger 6, which in turn is pivotedat 7 to asuitable support 8.

are so proportioned and the pivots so located that in their normalposition the trigger stands upright and the bar 1 stands, horizontal.Attached to the bar 1 in any suitable manner as by casting it integraltherewith, is a weight 10 whose shape is immate rial although preferably.it will be of the oval configuration shown in the drawings, so that itis narrower at the point 11 where it joins the bar 1 somewhat outside ofthe.

main pivot 2, thus producing an acuteangled-notch 12 at the inner sideofthe latch having a straight lower edge 13 and an inclined upper edge14; and it is essential that this weightand. the bar be so relativelydisposed and pivoted thatwhen the parts stand as seen in-Fig. 1 thecenter of gravity will be between the two pivots 2 and 3 and the weightas a whole will stand upright while the baras a whole stands horizontal.The catch member. of thisimproved latch mechanism consists essentiallyof a fiat plate 15 (which may well be one leaf'of an angleiron) securedto and projecting beyond one end of the bucket B and standing on a chordacross the dotted circle 16 shown in Fig. 4 as struck around the pivotP, and at the center of the length of this plate is a notch 17 Saidnotch is deep enough to receive the tip of the bar 1 as shown in Fig. 1,but not loodeep enough to receive the weight 10 when the parts stand asshown in Fig. 2; and the bar and weight are of proper size and the mainpivot 2 properly disposed with respect to the pivot P to produce thiscondition. All parts are by preference of metal and of the desiredproportion, and details of con struction, other than as described, areunimportant.

The operation of this improved latch is as follows: With the partsstanding as seen in Fig. 1, thebucket B is prevented from tilting toeither side because the notch 17 engages the inner end of the bar 1, andas the, weight 10 has passed outward beyond the main pivot 2 the centerof gravity of the entire latch holds the parts in this position. Theentire carriage and bucket may now be moved along the track or cable Con which the wheels W travel freely, and when the point is reached wherethe bucket is to be dumped the latch may be actuated by hand or thetrigger 6 may be moved by bringing it into contact with the trip T. Ineither case the latch is turned from the position shown in Fig. 1 tothat shown in Fig. 2, where the weight 10 moves beyond the center ofgravity over the main pivot 2. and rests upon the plate 15 while theinner end of the bar 1 moves out of the notch 17 so that the bucket isno longer latched. Being freed of restraint, the bucket (which is topheavy by reason of the low position of its pivots or trunnions P) turnsto one side or the other, and in doing so the plate 15 swings bodilyaround the center P so that its lowest point (its center, which isnearest the pivot P) is replaced by a point near one end which is higheror farther remote from said pivot, and therefore the upper face of v theplate 15 rides under the beveled upper edge 14 of the notch in the innerside of the latch and the latter is raised around its pivot 2. Fig. 3illustrates the position of parts at this time. Just as the higher endof the plate 15 passes out from under the weight-and passes off fromabove the inner end of the bar 1, the entirelateh stands on about itscenter of gravity and the momentum imparted to it by the bucket-whichwill then be moving quite rapidlycauses it to pass said center ofgravity and reassume the position shown in Fig. 1. The bucket nowcompletes its half circle of rotation around its trunnions, and its loadis dumped. To restore the parts to their normal position, the operatorswings the bucket back to the position shown in Fig. 1,

and in doing so the high end of the plate 15 passes into the notch 12and out of contact with either the upper edge 14 or lower edge 13thereof until thebucket reaches the position shownin Fig. 4, and at thistime the lower face of the plate 15 engages upon the upper edge of theinner end of the bar 1 at the point 13 and pitches the entire latch toabout the position shown in Fig. 3 although the contact of the edge 14:with the upper corner of the plate 15 prevents the latch from tipping asfar as shown in Fig. 2. The parts are so proportioned that the latch inthis action will not be tipped beyond its center of gravity, and hencewhen the notch 17 reaches a point vertically above the pivot P theweight 10 reassumes a vertical position and the inner end of the bar 1rises into the notch 17, and the parts are again locked in the positionshown in Fig. 1. Thus it will be seen that I have produced a latchingmechanism which is entirely automatic in its action in latching thebucket and which, when a trip T is employed, is also automatic in itsaction in unlatching the bucket; and yet I have avoided the use of anyspring or adjustment, or other complications. The extreme simplicity ofthe device commends itself to the user, and renders it unlikely to beaffected by snow or sleet, or by dust or chaff if the bucket be employedfor conveying articles of that character.

What is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with a support, a bucket pivoted below its center ofgravity therein, and a catch consisting of a plate projecting beyond theend of the bucket and standing on the chord of a circle around itspivot, the plate having a notch in its outer edge; of a bar pivoted tosaid sup-port with its tip normally engaging said notch, means forlimiting the rise and permitting the descent of said tip, and a weightconnected to said bar for holding the tip raised.

2. The combination with a support, a bucket pivoted below its center ofgravity therein, and a catch projecting from the bucket and having anotch; of a bar pivoted to said support so that its tip may engage saidnotch, a stop for limiting the rise and permitting the descent of saidtip, and a weight rigidly connected with and rising from said bar andhaving its center of gravity in rear of the pivot thereof, for thepurpose set forth.

3. The combination with a support, a bucket pivoted below its center ofgravity therein, and a catch consisting of a plate projecting beyond theend of the bucket and standing on the chord of a circle around itspivot, the plate having a notch in its outer edge at a point where saidchord is nearest to the pivot; of a latch pivoted to said support andincluding a bar and a member rigidly projecting therefrom at an angle soas to leave between it and said bar a notch of sufiicient depth toreceive said plate, the notch in the latter being of a depth to permitthe passage of the tip of said bar but prohibit the passage of saidmember,

4. The combination with a support, a bucket pivoted below its center ofgravity therein, and a catch consisting of a plate projecting beyond theend of the bucket and standing on the chord of a circle around itspivot, the plate having a notch in its outer edge at a point Where saidchord is nearest to the pivot; of a latch pivoted to said support andincluding a bar and a weight rising rigidly from the bar at an angle soas to leave between it and said bar a notch of sufficient depth toreceive said plate, the notch in the latter being of a depth to permitthe passage of the tip of said bar but prohibit the passage of saidweight, a trigger pivoted to said support, and a flexible connectionbetween the trigger and the outer endof the bar to check the turning ofthe latter on its pivot when its tip has engaged the notch in the catch.

5. The combination with a support, a bucket pivoted therein, and a catchconsisting of a plate projecting beyond the end of the bucket andstanding on the chord of a circle around its pivot, the plate having anotch in its outer edge at a point where said chord is nearest to thepivot; of a latch comprising a straight, bar standing across saidsupport and pivoted between its ends thereto and a weight rising rigidlytherefrom and at right angles thereto and standing in rear of its pivot,the weight being oval in contour so as to leave between it and said bara notch of sulficient depth to re eeive said plate, the notch in thelatter being of a depth to permit the passage of the tip of said bar butto prohibit the passage of the weight through it, a rod pivotallyconnected with the outer end of said bar and rising therefrom, and meansfor checking the descent of said rod when the entire latch stands in aposition where the tip of the bar engages the notch in said plate.

I11 testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

MALCOLM B. MOYERQ Witnesses HARRY W. Porr, DAVID H. LARSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C.

